John r



J. R. PATTEE.

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR.

APPLlCATlO-N F|LED MAY 21, 1917.

Patented m 25,1920

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JOHN R.-PATTEE, OF NE'W YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL CGNNECTOR.

Application filed May 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN R. PATTEE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York, countyand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvementsin Electrical Connectors, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to electrical connectors and particularly to theclass known as electric lamp sockets.

One object of the invention is to make a construction which will besimple, easy of manufacture and readily assembled.

Another object of the invention is to construct a connector that cancooperate with and be used with different types oi connecting members.For example, with electric lights having necks or collars of ditierentdiameters, or with electric lamps having necks or collars which areprovided with screw-threads of difi erent pitch.

As illustrating different forms in which the invention may be employedor realized reference is made to the drawing forming a part of thisspecification and in which draws.

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, end and side views of one form ofterminal member that may be employed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a connector with an electric lamp in placeof the connector. This is a view similar to one taken along the line 33of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4: is a sectional view of another form of connector with thelamp'in place therein.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the connector shown in Fig. l, but in Fig. 5the lamp is not shown.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of another form of connector; and,

7 is an end view of the connector shown in Fig. 6.

The several connectors shown are in the form of lamp sockets, but itwill be noted that the invention is not necessarily limited to a socketconstruction. The socket or connector shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises aterminal or terminal member 1 having a transversely extending main orbody portion 2 from which there projects or extends legs 3 each of whichlegs has at its free end an inwardly transversely extending portion 4:.The legs may be considered to extend lon Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 169,817.

gitudinally since they necessarily extend in general longitudinaldirection from the transversely extending main or body portion 2. Theportion a of the legs may be referred to as the lamp engaging portionsince the inner ends of said portion are the parts which en age theexterior of the collar or neck A or the lamp B. The legs are pref erablyof flexible material so that they may be considered spring legs and itwill be observed that the engaging ends thereof are arranged in pairsopposing each other. As the legs are of flexible or springy materialthey can yield and be employed so as to ac-,

commodate themselves to lamps of different construction; that is, withlamps having difierent exterior diameters on the necks or with lampshaving different pitches on the grooved or threaded portions. The socketor connector also comprises a second terminal or terminal member 5insulated from the terminal 1. The terminal 5 has a shoulder 6 at theinner end thereof and a screwthread 7 upon which there is located at itsouter end a nut 8. The terminal 5 extends through an opening 2 in thetransversely extending main or body portion 2. This cpening is largerthanthe exterior of the terminal 5 so that the terminal 5 can beinsulated from the terminal 1 by the insulating material 9 that isbetween the inner side of the transversely extending main or bodyportion 2 and the shoulder 6. Insulating material 10 is also providedbetween the exterior f the transversely extending main or body portion 2and the nut 8. The nut 8 provides a clamping means for securing theparts together. Electric wires which supply the current for the lamp areconnected one to the terminal member 1 and the other to the terminalmember 5. The terminal 5 may be considered to be connected to and to becarried by or to carry the main or body portion 2 of the terminal 1.

In the construction shown in Fig. d the terminal 1 and the terminal 5are constructed practically the same as the corresponding terminals 1and 5 above described. The ter minals 1 and 5 are insulated from eachother by insulating material 9 and the casing 11 which provides theinsulating material 10 it the casing is made of insulating material.(Ether insulating material can also be provided at 1O if, for example,it should be decided not to make the casing of insulating material. Inthe latter case the casing should be insulated from the terminal 5. Inorder that the electric current may be conducted to the terminal 1 thereis provided a wire 12 which is connected to one of the legs of theterminal l and to a connecting screw 13 to which one of the supply wiresmay be connected; the other supply wire is connected to the terminal 5In the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the terminals 1" and 5 arepractically the same as the terminals in the construction shown in Figs.1 to 3 inclusive and hereto tore described. These terminals 1 and 5 areinsulated from each other, as by insulating material 9". and 10". Acasing le is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 made o'l. conducting material, forinstance. sheet metal, and through an opening 15 thereof there extendsthe terminal 5". This opening 15 is large enough to permit the terminal5 to be insulated from the casing and insulating material 10 is providedas a part of the in- I sulating medium between the terminal 5" and thecasing 14:. To one of the legs of the terminal 1" there is connected anelectric wire 16 that is also electrically connected to a connectingscrew 17. To this screw 1'? one of the supply wires may be connected andthe other supply wire is connected to the terminal 5".

In all of the forms described, it will be noted that the terminals ortern'iinal members are connected together. In each form there is a firstterminal member which has a transversely extending main or body portionthat is provided with longitudinally extending legs and with which thereis associated a second terminal member that extends into a space definedby the trans versely extending main or body portion and the legs.

It will also be noted that the free ends of the legs of the firstterminal member have lamp engaging portions which engage, for instance,the exterior contact member or brass collar about the neck end 01": alamp, while an end of the second terminal member engages the centralmetallic contact which is at the end portion of the neck of the lamp.

The improvements herein set forth are not limited to the preciseconstruction and arrangement shown and described for they may beembodied in various forms and modifications without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis:

1. An electric lamp socket comprising in combination a terminal memberhaving a transversely extending main portion from which there projectlongitudinally extending legs having inwardly extending portions at thefree ends thereof adapted to engage lamps having collars or necks ofvarious sizes or collars or necks which are provided with screw-threadsof different pitch, and a second terminal member extending through saidtransversely extending portion.

2. An electric lamp socket comprising in combination a terminal memberhaving a transversely extending main or body portion from which thereproject or extend in a longitudinal direction lamp-engaging ortions thatdefine the socket portion, said lampengaging portions being bentinwardly he free ends thereof to a position subs antially parallel tosaid main or body portion, and a longitudinally extending secondterminal member which passes through but is spaced from said main orbody portion.

3. an electric lamp socket comprising in combination a terminal memberhaving a transversely extending main or. body portion from which thereproject or extend in a longitudinal direction lamp-engaging portionsthat define the socket portion, said lamp-engaging portions being bentinwardly and horizontally at the tree ends thereoi to a positionsubstantially parallel to said main or body portion, a second terminalmember which passes through but is spaced from said main or bodyportion, and an insulating member between the outer side of the main orbody portion and a clamping nut which is on the outer end of said secondterminal. member, said insulating member provides or carries a casingthat surrounds the lampengaging portions which define the socketportion.

1. A lamp socket provided with a gripping member having, a transverselyextending main portion and longitudinally extending legs bent inwardlyto a position sub stantially parallel to said main portion of thegripping member at their free ends to grip the necks of lamps of varioussizes.

This specification signed and, witnessed this 19th day of May, A. D.1917.

JOHN P. PATTEE.

Signed in the presence of G. MGGRANN, EDWIN A. PACKARD.

